Walk this way......

all Italian, 16th century, silk velvets

image is my own

I’ve been doing some research on some new/old velvets I received this week and in my wanderings about computer land I found some tasty morsels…. amazing old shoes! I’m sorry but Manolo Blahnik has nothing on these beauties. Trish over at Trouvais is going to love these!

Chopines shoes, circa 1600, Venice

image above and below via V&A

Shoes of this type are called chopines or pantobles. The design was based on shoes worn in Turkish baths. Could you imagine wearing shoes made of wood covered with silk velvet and trimmed with silk ribbon and gold lace?

images of shoes and dress via book

"20,000 Years of Fashion" by Francois Boucher

Here are a couple of more chopine shoes, they don’t look very easy to walk or balance in especially when you’re wearing a gown like the one below.

I think if I had to wear that heavy gown laced up my neck while balancing on the front part of my feet I too think I would need a minion to balance on!

French, made 1750 - 1760

image via V&A

Women's high-heeled mules, commonly known as slippers. These have a fairly high heel and a pointed toe. The velvet uppers are decorated with metal thread. The embroidery was all done by hand and without electricity to see by, amazing piece of artwork.

England, made 1650 - 1660

image above and below via V&A

Pair of women's mules or backless slippers are made of velvet embroidered with silver-gilt thread. From about 1550 to 1700, embroidery became very fashionable and mules were often decorated in this way. Talk about luxury! 

Pattens, Great Britain, made 1720s - 30s

image via V&A

Pattens were worn to lift the shoe out of the dirt and damp while balancing on the iron ring. The shoe would have been fastened into the patten by means of ribbon-laced latchets covered in velvet. Sounds convenient huh?

image via Christie's auction catalog

Pair of 18^th century green silk damask shoes and a pair of pattens, both with gilt braid. These pattens don’t have the iron ring but you can see how they would have fit under the shoes, that hump would have been up under the heel.  

image via Christie's auction catalog

Yellow silk brocade shoes from the 18^th century. Aren’t they wonderful? Shoes like these can cost anywhere from $7000 to $14,000 at auction today and no, I didn’t buy them!

image via "Marie-Antoinette Style" by Adrien Goetz

Aren't the shoes amazing all grouped together?

image via my feet!

Unfortunately it’s time to come back to my reality of snow and functional but ugly footwear. Nice huh?

 

So which century of footwear are your favorites?

I hope you are all staying warm and dry on this very snowy day!